Just Room Mates
by helloclouds
Summary: Isaac doesn't remember how he ended up moving in with Lydia Martin. It was probably when they all started moving on with their lives. He remembers her turning to him, "What do you say, Iz? Do you think you could handle living with a Martin woman?" It's been four years. He thinks he's managed pretty well.


Lydia's in the middle of her shower routine when the war starts running cold and that little shit said he'd fixed it. She storms downstairs wrapped in a towel with shampoo suds still in her hair.

On the couch is the familiar sight of Isaac and Scott playing video games and she could have sworn Scott said he was going home 20 minutes ago.

She clears her throat and they both look at her a little shocked before Isaac smirks at her, "Nice look, Lyds."

"Don't give me that shit, Isaac. You said you fixed the hot water! I was in the middle of washing my hair! You know how much damage this is going to do?"

He just shrugs and goes back to playing his video game and is he serious? She picks up his tool kit and shoves it into his lap.

"Fix it. Now. Before I call the cute water guy and persuade him to get into the shower with me. Do you really want to listen to that all night?"

She's used that as a threat before, and actually followed through. He does not want to go through that again. Scott gets up, all blushes and knowing looks but Lydia wipes the look off of his face with a glare.

"I should probably get back to Ally anyway. Bye guys!"

He leaves and Lydia smiles as Isaac goes to fix the hot water system again. It's like the 8th time this month. If Lydia didn't take such long showers maybe it wouldn't break down so much.

When Isaac's finally done fixing the system an hour and a half later, she's back in the bathroom in a heartbeat which is super frustrating. They only have one bathroom and it's like a million degrees out. Pair that with the work he just did, and he's sweating up a storm.

Lydia exits the bathroom fully showered, dressed and ready for the outside world. She looks gorgeous, as always. He's not an idiot but he isn't in love with her either, like Scott keeps insisting with those stupid knowing looks. He's living with Lydia Martin. She's beautiful. He can admit that. She's also a pain in his fucking ass but she's his best friend. If you had told him freshman year after she ripped out his heart and jumped on it that he'd be living with Lydia and calling her his best friend, he would have laughed in your face.

"Where are you off to?"

"I have a date," she shrugs. "Someone from the hospital."

"Aw, is wittle Lwdia nervous?"

She sticks her tongue out at him which he catches in the reflection of the mirror she's looking in.

There's a knock on the door and she quickly walks over and throws a blanket over me.

"Lydia! What the-"

"Shhh! Not to be cruel, but he might get the wrong idea if he sees you, like Hayley did about me."

Fair point. Isaac had gone on three dates with Hayley before he asked her to come back to his. When they stumbled in, her hands in his hair and his gripping her waist, Lydia had been sitting on the couch watching the Notebook. Hayley had assumed they were dating and into some kinky shit.

Lydia leans in and places a small kiss on Isaac's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"You aren't coming home?"

She just winks and saunters out the door.

* * *

Isaac doesn't quite remember how exactly he and Lydia ended up moving in together. It was probably because they were all moving on with their lives. Sure, most days Scott and Stiles still came over to play video games, but then Scott would leave for a shift at the vet clinic he'd opened up, or to help Allison with some pregnancy dilemma. It'd be their second, and they were just as ecstatic and nervous as the first time.

Allison taught self defence classes. One night, when Melissa had agreed to take Katelyn, the pack had decided to get wasted. Allison confessed that she became a self defence teacher because when she'd first found out about everything she'd felt so hopeless. "No one should feel how I felt then. No one should be defenseless."

Lydia works at the hospital, and after only a year she's the head neurosurgeon. After the nogitsune possessed Stiles, made him lose his mind, she was determined not to let anything happen to him, or any of the pack again.

Stiles had taken over his Dad as Sheriff and he and Derek had finally gotten over their stupidity and admitted their feelings for each other. Derek works as a mechanic, even owns his business himself. Most days Isaac helps out, when he isn't working as Beacon Hills' number one social worker.

Isaac will always remember the day he helped his first kid. He'd seen all the bruises and he felt like he was 16 again, trapped in the freezer. He'd counted to 10 and tried to stay calm. When he took Malcom to the hospital, after Melissa was through recording every broken bone and bruised skin, Isaac stumbled out into the hallway to get some water. He'd run right into Lydia who was doing her residency.

"Isaac? Can you hear me?"

He nodded.

She took his hand in hers and led him to one of the empty rooms. "You need to smarten up, okay? I'm not trying to be mean, but that boy in there is just as terrified as you are and he doesn't need that. He needs to see a strong man, someone who's approachable and who he can talk to. He needs Isaac Lahey."

She had said his name like he was some kind of superhero. So he acted like one.

It's been 4 years since that day.

A week later Lydia said casually that she was looking for a roommate. "It's stupid for me to live on my own, my hours at the hospital are insane and I'm never there, but I don't want a roommate who I'll hate either."

"Isaac's looking for a place," Derek said casually. It's true. He had been. Being 23 and living with his legal guardian and his mate wasn't particularly fun. Especially when they decided to have sex is the living room.

Again.

Lydia smiled, a genuine Lydia smile that happened very rarely.

"What do you say, Iz? Do you think you could handle living with a Martin woman?"

It's been four years. He thinks he's managed pretty well.

* * *

He's reading over some case documents when Lydia stumbles in. She's a little drunk so it must mean she has tomorrow off.

"I thought I wasn't seeing you until tomorrow."

She raises her finger to her lips, "He was stupid."

"He's a doctor, Lyd. I don't think he can be stupid."

"Well, he was. Now shut up and move over I wanna cuddle."

Isaac pulls a blanket over the two of them and Lydia nestles in beside them. They don't do this often because most days they're never home at the same time. They communicate through the whiteboard stuck on the fridge. Sometimes though, when they've both had a shitty day and they're together, this is how they usually end up. It's unspoken of course, and the fact Lydia's brought it up proves how drunk she is.

"Do you have plans tomorrow?"

He nods, "I have to go check up on Grace, see how she's adjusting to the foster family I placed her in. I might take her out after. She likes hanging out at Derek's so I figure if she's a place where she feels safe she'll be more open to talking."

Lydia just hums, "Poor girl. It must suck being 17 and trying to readjust." She freezes, "I mean-"

"It's fine, Lydia. It's been 10 years."

"I'm sorry," she mumbles. "I was such a brat. If I'd-"

He turns her head so that she's facing him, "Lydia, he had to die for anything to happen. If you'd said something, I would've denied it and ended up being worse off. Thank you, though. It's nice to know."

"I don't want to sleep tonight," she whispers. It's barely audible, but to his werewolf ears it's clear as day.

"Then we won't."

* * *

"So you poured his drink over his head?"

Lydia looks at Allison as if she's a little slow, "Yes, Ally."

"Because he insulted Isaac."

"Yep," she says popping the p as she reapplies her lip gloss.

"Oh my god, you're in love with him."

Lydia rolls her eyes, "I am not in love with Isaac. That idiot said something about one of my friends, about someone in my pack. I wasn't about to let him get away with it."

Allison smiles because after 10 years, she knows Lydia Martin. "Loads of people have said things about Stiles. You didn't pour drinks over their heads."

There's an evil glint in Lydia's eye, "No. I did much worse."

Allison doesn't doubt it. "What did you do after you stormed out of the restaurant?"

"I went to the bar and ordered a tequila shot and two bourbon and cokes."

"Of course you did."

The door to Scott and Allison's place opens and in stumbles the four males of their misfit pack. Lydia remembers when Scott and Allison first bought this place. He insisted on singing out, "Honey, I'm home" and Allison would blush like a school girl. It honestly made Lydia want to puke.

Scott has Katelyn on his hip and the girl quickly pecks her Mom's cheek before running to her Aunt Lydia. She's never been the mother type but she thinks maybe Katelyn could change her mind. The girl's adorable. Seriously, someone should give Scott and Allison a prize.

They all exchange hellos and hugs before Allison decides to announce, "You'll never guess what Lydia did."

"I did nothing." She turns to Isaac, "How was Grace?"

He smiles, "She's doing good. She's put on 10 pounds and she really likes her foster family. She feels a little strange, but that's normal. She totally kicked Derek's ass today though. She said she could change the oil on the car faster than him. She beat him by a whole 33 seconds."

Derek grumbles something out like, "I let her win" and it makes Isaac burst into a roar of laughter.

Stiles rolls his eyes, "It's okay, baby. I know you're all man. Now, what did Lydia do?"

Lydia puts her head in her hands. Note to self; never tell Allison anything ever. She knows what they'll all say. They say it every time her and Isaac exchange the slightest friendly moment; that they're in love. Ew.

"She dowsed her date in wine."

Scott's eyes widen comically, "What? Why?"

Allison's grin grows, "He talked smack about Isaac."

"Smack, Allison? Really?"

Allison shrugs and Isaac looks at Lydia in shock. Stiles groans, "can you two just fuck already?"

Lydia quickly covers Katelyn's ears, "Sweetie, maybe go play in your room? Ill come through in a second."

Katelyn gets up and runs off.

Derek hits his boyfriend over the head, "Let them work it out at their own pace, okay?"

Isaac flips him off, "There isn't anything to work out, dick."

"Where did you both sleep last night?"

"Didnt."

"What?"

"I didn't want to fall asleep, so we stayed up and watched movies."

Stiles throws his hands up in a way that suggests his fed up with his two bone headed friends and just starts ranting about how they're missing out.

Lydia's tired of this conversation. It always comes up when they're all together like this. She appreciates it, she knows they just want her and Isaac to be happy but hell, if they were meant to be it would've happened after 10 years.

Plus, it's Isaac for crying out loud. He's seen her in her pajamas reading a book with her hair tied up and no make up on for Christ sake.

She gets up and goes into her niece's room. "Hey, Aunty Lydia!"

Lydia grins, "Hey sweetie. What are we playing?"

"Tea parties!"

Lydia supposes it's a credit to Scott and Allison that the guests of the tea party included a princess and some martial arts champ she's never heard of.

They play for a while, Lydia pouring tea for all the guests and listening to Katelyn's chatter about her day at Grandma Melissa's. She listens completely until she can feel someone standing in the door way. She doesn't even have to look to know who it is.

"You going to be a creep and stand there or are you going to come in?"

Isaac quickly walks in, "Hey Katie, any of the seats free?"

Katelyn looks up and her Uncle Isaac and smiles, "Princess just left, so you can take her seat."

Isaac looks to Lydia for help to which was Princess' seat. He's accidentally sat on one of Katelyn's tea party guests before and the girl cried for hours. He swears Scott was going to kill him. She kicks the chair only slightly and he knows instantly where to sit.

The three play for a while before Katelyn looks at them both. "Mommy says you two are in love."

Lydia wonders if this is a current conversation or one that Katelyn's heard before. The girl inherited the supernatural gene from her father, so it was more often than not she heard everything. "Oh really?"

"Yeah! Are you?"

Isaac shakes his head, "We're just friends, kid."

Katelyn frowns, "But you live together like mommy and daddy and uncle Stiles and uncle Derek."

"We do, but only as friends."

Katelyn grins, "Good! Boys have cooties!"

Isaac raises his eyebrow and tackles Katelyn before blowing raspberries on her back, "Lydia, quick! Katie has cooties! You need to treat her stat!"

That's when Scott comes in, "Are you two torturing my kid?"

Both adults put on the face of pure innocence whilst Katelyn nods furiously. Scott tells her it's time for her bath and the girl quickly runs out after Scott, escaping the clutches of her evil Aunt and Uncle.

It's a moment before Isaac says, "You're really good with her."

"She makes it easy."

"Would you-"

"Ever have my own? No. I refuse to bring children into this world; not after how I was raised."

Isaac knows that Lydia didnt have the best home life either. She doesn't talk about it much, but from what he's gathered her parents had her to save their marriage and for 14 years Lydia grew up around screaming matches, affairs and being used as a pawn in their game.

"We're not our parents, Lydia."

She looks him in the eye, "You're not, but I am my mother's daughter."

With that she leaves the room, apologizes to the others and leaves. Isaac comes through to knowing looks from Scott and Derek.

"Mind your own fucking business."

* * *

Their first week in the same house Lydia didnt sleep. She paced up and down and read medical books and planned meals and budgets but she never slept.

When Isaac finally confronted her about it she wouldn't look him in the eyes. They were sitting at the kitchen island on one of those rare occasions they were home at the same time and running on the same schedule.

Lydia picked at her toast before saying, "I still have…nightmares." She looked disgusted with herself and only Lydia Martin would be disgusted with her subconscious.

"I didn't want to wake you up, because sometimes I don't wake up so…pleasantly."

"You're talking to me. In those 6 months I lived with the McCalls I woke them up nearly every night screaming."

Her hand goes to touch hisShe groans, "They're usually about things we've all been through. It's mostly Peter, when I thought Jackson was dead and when Stiles was possessed by the nogitsune."

Isaac sighs, "How've you even been staying awake?"

Lydia rolled her eyes, "Sweetie, I'm a soon to be doctor. Doctors pull big shifts, I've been drinking lots of caffeine and taking a lot of awakeners."

"Well no more," he stands and picks her up, throwing her over his shoulder. Lydia doesn't even try and protest, just hangs where she is. Her tiredness having hit her like a tsunami.

"You know, you have a really nice butt."

"Thanks, Lydia."

He gently places her down on her bed and tucks her in. "I'll call Melissa and have her cover for you."

She had pulled him towards her, muttered her thanks and kissed him on the cheek. She didnt have any nightmares that night, instead she slept sounds but a few days later she did wake up screaming. Isaac did what his mom used to do whenever he or Cam woke up like this.

Stumbling blindly, he slips into Lydia's bed and says, "Talking makes it easier, less real. What happened?"

It was the first time he'd seen Lydia Martin cry. He swears he didn't fall in love with her at that moment, but he saw a more real version of Lydia than he had seen in 6 years of friendship.

Isaac couldn't help but smile to himself at the thought.

* * *

"So, what did he say?"

It hasn't been bugging him. He swears it hasn't…well, except Isaac doesn't like knowing when people talk badly about him. Which sucks, because of his super wolfy hearing and all.

Lydia's been avoiding the topic, in classic Lydia style. She avoids a lot of things. He does too though so who is he to judge?

"You're not going to drop it? It's been three days, Lahey."

Lydia looks at his face and sees the determination in his eyes, how his jaw is set and knows he isn't backing down from this. They're similar in that way and that has caused way too many squabbles between them. It's usually over something pathetic like a miscommunication of who is paying what bill this month and one of them forgetting to tell the other where they're going.

(The latter is mostly Isaac. Sometimes Beacon Hills gets to be too much so he drives to the ocean, or East. Just somewhere different for a few hours. He won't answer his phone unless it's Stiles because he might have a case for him, or if it's Melissa for the same reason. He has a separate mobile for the kids he works with and he always answers that no matter if it's just one of them wanting to say hey. Lydia worries. She gets scared something's happened to him and there's been more than one occasion where as soon as he walks through the door she pushes him out, yelling about how worried she's been and if he doesn't know how to use a phone he doesn't deserve to live with her. The longest she's kicked him out for was about 7 hours. Isaac disappeared for two days and she was yelling at Scott to order him home. "You're an alpha, for Christs sake. Bring him home." Isaac still doesn't know how crazy she got.)

Lydia relents, pulling her strawberry blonde hair into a tight pony tail, "He said you were a pussy for being a social worker, called you a wannabe superhero who wasn't in it "for the right reasons.""

Isaac can hear the disdain Lydia has in her voice, and if he's honest it kind of makes what that shitty doctor said okay.

"And then you threw his drink in his face?"

Lydia raises an eyebrow, "Is that okay with you?" She's challenging him.

"Perfectly."

"Good. I have to go pull the graveyard at the hospital. Try not to burn the house down."

He bites his lip thinking of the other night, "Lydia, I'm-"

She just shakes her head, puts her hand on his arm and smiles. "It's okay. I know."

She leaves without another word and Isaac wonders how he got such an amazing best friend.

* * *

They didn't become close until they left for college. Allison was doing her first year in France and Scott and Stiles both went to Berkeley and Lydia and Isaac ended up at NYU.

Isaac was shocked to see her there, if he was honest. She'd told them all she was going to Harvard but here she was in front of his eyes.

She saw his questioning gaze and shrugged, "NYU is still a prestigious place of learning. And it's a lot further away from Beacon Hills."

"Why do you want to get away?"

"I want to forget."

He didnt have to ask what. In their senior year, Lydia had been kidnapped and attacked by a pack of Hell Hounds controlled by Peter. It took the pack 41 days to find her. Everyone was convinced she was dead, but Scott wouldn't give up. Isaac's ashamed to admit he had. He'd been through it once before with Boyd and Erica. He insisted they were still alive.

When he found Erica dead, he wanted to die as well. She'd been a sister to him. His first friend. He'll never forget her.

He didn't want to get his hopes up with Lydia like he did with them.

They'd left her in pretty bad shape. It took her a long time to recover and even then she wasn't quite Lydia. She was like an impersonator.

They'd slept together after her confession. It only happened the one time, they laughed about it and have been best friends ever since. They don't talk about it either, and none of their friends know. Otherwise they'd always say that they belong together. They don't. He doesn't get why they insist on it.

After, though, Lydia started acting normal again. He'll never know what triggered it, but he was happy to see her like that; happy.

Lydia and Isaac spent every moment outside of class together. Scott, Allison and Stiles can rattle off names of people they met and friends they made but the pair couldn't. They had each other. That was really enough.

* * *

Derek needs his help working on a car, so Isaac heads down to the garage. It's nothing fancy, but Derek does pretty well for himself. He doesn't need to hire any one because Isaac's there more days than not and with his werewolf abilities there's really no need.

Since Derek started dating Stiles he's become a lot more mellow and easier to talk to. People actually approach him on the street and start up conversations with him. Isaac's witnessed it himself.

They work for a solid two hours saying nothing more than, "hand me the torch" and muttering curses to themselves when Lydia comes in with Stiles.

"I found a stray on our front steps," Stiles announces and Lydia just rolls her eyes and seats herself on one of the chairs in the office. Isaac hasn't seen her for a few days. She pulled a double at the hospital and he's been busy with a few cases so they always just miss each other.

"I was just doing lunch runs."

"Lydia, you were pounding on the door begging me to let you in."

Lydia looks down. If she meets eyes with Isaac she knows she'll burst into tears. She feels him crouch down beside her and Isaac tilts her chin so she faces him. She still won't look him in the eye though.

"I just felt like someone was following me, okay? It's not a big deal."

Isaac leaps into defence mode, "Lyds, if it's freaked you out so much it is a big deal. Why didn't you call me?"

"Maybe because you act like a psycho whenever I slightly feel like something's up!"

"Excuse me for caring about my best friend."

"Excuse me for not needed to be treated like a five year old, Isaac! I'm nearly 27. I think it's time I stop being afraid of things that go bump in the night."

Isaac stands from his crouching position and folds his arm over his chest, "See, I'd believe you except things do go bump in the night and you've been the damsel in distress too many times to count."

Lydia stands now, matching his glare, "Don't you dare bring up with Peter. You have no right!"

Derek and Stiles stand uncomfortably in the office. Over the years they've learnt it's better not to get in the middle of a Isaac-Lydia blow out.

"I have no right? Lydia, who stays up with you when you're too afraid to go to sleep? Me! I have every fucking right. Peter got the better of you. He and his hounds tortured you and you don't think that warrants me to worry?"

Lydia raises her hand to slap him but Stiles quickly grabs it, "Come on, Lydia. You don't wanna do anything you'll regret."

She nods, squaring her jaw and blinking back her tears before shoving past Isaac and out of the garage.

* * *

Lydia doesn't go home. She's off rotation this week after two weeks worth of 20 hour shifts so it's okay if she goes missing for a little while. No one will miss her too much. They'll worry, but be put at ease by a phone call claiming to just need some time. She won't even be gone that long anyway.

Las Vegas.

She thinks it's stupid they didn't look here for her first. An older man with a barely legal girl blends in here perfectly; especially if you put her in an old factory on the cusp of civilization and the desert. No one would think to look there for a kidnapped and tortured girl.

Peter did take her on day trips though, to keep up the facade that they were lovers who had run away together. It was a beautiful place. It was too bad she only came back here to remind herself.

The bus pulls up and she walks a little ways until she sees the factory and, "Of course you'd be here. How'd you know?"

Isaac shrugs, "You weren't at home, the hospital, Ally and Scott's or the cemetery. This is the only other place you would go."

Lydia takes his hand and pulls Isaac into the factory. She guides him through all the doors. Lydia isnt surprised after 9 years she hasn't forgotten one detail. It's pitch black, but she finds the spot.

"I was supposed to die here. Peter was waiting for some special full moon but first he needed to prepare me. He needed to break me, make sure I had no hope whatsoever."

Isaac looks around and he wants to vomit. He's seen some bad things in his life, but this has to take the cake. Imagining Lydia here…tied up, beaten and bound.

"I never have up hope. I always knew my pack would come."

Isaac swallows hard, and admits something he never has to anyone but himself, "I gave up hope. I thought it was going to be like Erica and Boyd."

"But when Stiles said I was here, you didn't question him. You came. You didn't give up hope."

"I shouldn't have said those things."

Lydia shakes her head, "You were right. You do get a say. I was being stubborn. It just…remembering hurts; feeling weak hurts."

It's Isaac who takes her hand this time, leads her out of the factory and helps her into the passenger seat of the Camaro.

They're heading home.

* * *

Lydia was asleep by the time they pulled up to the house. Isaac could hear the pack inside and sighed. There was no way she'd wake up and so he quickly picks her up and carries her. Lydia clasps her arms around his neck instinctively and smiles in her sleep.

The pack look at him as he walks in, but he ignores them and quickly takes her up to her room. He takes her shoes off and Allison is at the door, "Do you want me to get her dressed in her pajamas?"

He nods and quickly exits the room where he's greeted by Stiles. The two were never on the best of terms, always competing for someone's affection.

"I should have let her hit you."

"You didn't though, and I know that wasn't for me. It was for her."

Stiles looks at him for a moment and mutters something like "maybe I've been wrong all these years about you, Lahey." Allison exits the bedroom, "She's asking after you."

He quickly goes in and is by her side, "Hey, Lyds. What's up?"

"You're my best friend, you know? I love you."

Her face is soft, unguarded. She's like a child.

"I love you too."

She sighs, "Go appease them, tell them I'm okay and then get your stupid werewolf butt back here, okay?"

He kisses her on the head and she sighs contently. Isaac quickly jogs down the stairs. "She says she's fine. I think she just wants to sleep, so…"

Allison looks at him for a moment, "Scott, baby, go warm the car up and get Katelyn into her seat? Derek, Stiles, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" The three quickly understand that Allison wants to be alone with Isaac.

"And no eavesdropping," she calls out as an afterthought.

Her gaze returns to Isaac, "is she okay?"

"She says she is."

"But-"

"But nothing, Ally. I believe her."

Allison just shakes her head, "For two very smart people you're both very stupid, you know that Isaac?"

"Says the girl who stabbed be 20 times with Chinese ring daggers."

"I thought we moved past that!"

"Stop it! Stop it both of you!" They both turn to the doorway, where Lydia is standing. "Can't you two ever stop fighting?"

Both Isaac and Allison look down at their feet in guilt. This isn't the first time they've had an argument and Lydia's walked in on it. It's always about Lydia, though. Allison hates him for stealing away her best friend. He hates her for having a connection he'll never have with her.

Come to think of it, it's the same reason he hates Stiles. Lydia and Derek were always just two soldiers on the same side. Lydia and Scott were friends and nothing more. He never had problems with those two.

"Sorry, Lyd."

"Damn straight you're sorry. I'm tired and all I want to do is sleep next to my stupid werewolf and he's downstairs arguing with our friend."

Allison just raises and eyebrow and quickly kissed Lydia on the cheek, "I'll go. Call me if you need anything."

Allison's out the door in a heartbeat and Isaac sighs and leads Lydia up to her bedroom. "I'm sorry for fighting with Ally."

Lydia smirks, "Liar."

She always could call him out.

When they finally get to Lydia's room, all wrapped up in blankets and each other; she mumbles, "Thank you for coming today."

Isaac smiles into her neck, "Of course, Lydia. It's you, for Pete's sake. I'd always come for you."

That is when Lydia turns around and presses her lips to Isaac's, soft and slow as if she's waiting for him to push her away, like he ever would. He kisses her back, a little more rough and she huffs out a laugh.

"You do realise it's been 8 years since we've kissed? At that stupid frat party you insisted on dragging me to."

"You hand fun though, didnt you? Lydia Martin; Queen of the keg stand."

Lydia giggles and leans back in to kiss Isaac, crawling on top of him so that she is straddling him.

"Fuck, Lyd."

"Mmm? You want me to stop?"

"Don't you fucking dare," Isaac growls.

Lydia laughs and leans in to kiss Isaac, but moving away at the last second teasingly to force him to sit up and chase her. She always loved the game of cat and mouse

* * *

It progresses to the point where they both lay in a sweaty mess in the middle of Lydia's bed, panting and satisfied.

Isaac turns to Lydia, "I love you, Lyd."

She freezes, unsure of the context of the words. Did he mean it romantically or how they has whispered it to each other only hours before hand.

Either way, Lydia chooses to say; "No, you dont Isaac. You just love that I'm here."

Isaac wakes up alone the next day. There's a note scribbled on the white board that the hospital was desperate and needed her to cover a shift. "We'll talk about everything later," it says.

He isn't stupid, though. He knows that's they're both going to avoid talking to each other for as long as possible about this. He means, it's them for fucks sake.

Isaac and Lydia have been dancing around words and feelings for almost a decade. What's a few more days?

* * *

Isaac visits all of his charges in the morning before he's called to the Sheriff's station. Grace is sitting there with this look on her face, a look he knows all too well.

Something's happened and she's acted out.

He's lucky Stiles was in today. Isaac sits beside her, "So, what happened?"

Grace just looks at him, "Am I free to go?"

He sighs, but nods anyway. "Yes, you're free to go. You're lucky Stiles is a friend of mine."

Grace sneers at him, "Yeah, that's me. Grace Bennett, luckiest girl alive."

She gets up and storms out of the precinct and Isaac chases after her, "What's your damage, Bennett?"

"Some kids at school. They found about everything and you're the only one who knew"

Isaac pales, "I'm so sorry, Grace. It wasn't me though. I would never betray your trust like that. I need the kid's names. I need to find the source of the information leak."

Grace gives him the information he needs before bursting into tears, "They're all going to know, Isaac. They're all going to know my mother starved me and my father…fuck."

He holds her for a long time before calling the high school and demanding that the kids who know be pulled out of class.

Isaac was going to kick some serious ass when he finds out who leaked the information.

* * *

It's two hours later when he storms into the hospital on a mission. He sees Melissa and practically shouts at her asking where Lydia is.

"I think she's in with a patient, Isaac. Stay here and I'll get her."

Melissa doesn't need to move though, because Lydia ends up walking up towards them. She goes to kiss Isaac but he steps away.

"How could you? You're supposed to tell me when there are students from the high school around so kids don't over hear things and you didn't! Now Grace is hauled up at home crying because everybody knows what happened to her Lydia! You were treating some kid for a broken arm in the next room and you said nothing!"

His voice level isn't something that's acceptable in a hospital, but he's fucking furious at Lydia. How could she?

"Isaac, I-"

"Save it. I called Derek and I'm staying with him and Stiles for a few days. I have to do damage control for your fucking mistake."

Lydia's left open mouthed, watching Isaac walk away. She looks over to Melissa, teary eyed and struggling to comprehend what has just happened. Melissa pulls her into a hug, "It's okay, sweetie," she whispers. "Its going to be okay."

* * *

Her first night without Isaac in the house, Lydia doesn't go home. Instead, she walks around Beacon Hills. Lydia Martin could have gone anyway, but she stayed in the small town that almost killed her. Why was that, she wondered. Why did she return to a place that held nothing but hurtful memories everywhere she looked? Her Mom had the right idea, fleeing Beacon Hills the moment Lydia graduated high school. She should have gone with her. Maybe then she wouldn't see the ghosts of everyone they had cared about.

Lydia still cries when she watches the Notebook, but not because of the movie. She cries because it reminds her of Jackson. God, he hated that movie. She always had to blow him after they watched it to make up for putting him through it again. She misses how sweet he used to be. She misses the young boy who once gave her a key to his house because he couldn't tell her he loved her.

She would see Erica whenever she saw an ATM or a bank. She couldn't watch any bank robbery movies or she'd break down crying. Lydia and Erica were actually friends before freshman year, but then Lydia became a harsh bitch and Erica's epilepsy got the better of her.

Lydia couldn't go to the ice skating rink anymore, or stay in a motel or visit the loft because of Boyd. The big guy had taken a lot of care of her once he knew she knew everything. She'd sometimes catch him sitting by her window late at night, book in his hand. "Erica would've kicked my ass if I let anything happen to you," he said. Lydia laughed at that. Erica Reyes was a feisty little thing.

Those 48 hours they lost Allison were probably the hardest. Lydia was furious and distraught and completely numb all at the same time. Lydia dreams about it a lot, about clutching to Stiles whilst she sobbed. Bringing her back was probably the hardest thing Lydia ever did. It's why Peter chose her for the ritual in the end. It's also why Danny won't speak to her.

After Allison, Lydia tried to bring back Aiden, the fallen soldier that she still thinks about everyday. When she couldn't, Ethan left for good and Danny was heartbroken. He blamed Lydia for Ethan having to leave. He said she wasn't trying hard enough.

Is she supposed to add Isaac's name to that list? The List of the Buried and the Lost?

Lydia hears the barking of a dog and begins sprinting to the nearest of the pack's houses. Lydia can't handle dogs anymore, not after spending so much time with Hell Hounds. She ended up giving Prada away because Lydia was terrified whenever then pup yelped.

Scott's pulling into the drive way when she runs up and she throws herself at him, bursting in to tears.

"He hates me, Scott. I think he wants me to die."

Scott looks down at Lydia and leads her into the house. Allison and Katelyn are at some kind of play date thing and everything pours out of Lydia.

"We fooled around a couple times at college, but Isaac got over it quickly and so we became friends and Scott, I'm in love with him and last night…I kissed him and we ended up sleeping together and then he told me he loved me. I panicked. I went into work and begging your Mom to put me on shift but as I was working I was determined to go home and tell him I loved him too, that I have since he thought he was capable of living with a Martin woman. And then-"

Lydia bursts into tears again and Scott just holds her. "Lyd, whatever it is, he'll get over it. I mean, It's you and Isaac."

Lydia shakes her head, "He think I forgot to tell him about kids from BHHS being in the hospital when I treated Grace."

"Did you?"

Lydia shakes her head, "There weren't any children in the hospital that day. Kira from cardiology organised a day trip for all the permanents and no one came through. It was a good day."

* * *

Isaac is sitting on the couch between Derek and Stiles, which he knows has to be ticking the human off but right now he really doesn't care. He's been bitching about Lydia for the last hour and a half and he still hasn't gotten everything out. It's bottling up inside so Derek suggests they go for a run in the woods as wolves, they call Scott but his phone goes to voicemail so it's just the two of them.

It's fun; playing with his co-beta, and it's hours before either of them even fathom going back home. When they do, Stiles is waiting for them at the back door with his arms crossed, "So, Isaac, when you told Lydia that you loved her last night after you fucked her did you mean it?"

Isaac stares at him, open mouthed and confused. "Of course I meant it, Stiles."

"Did you mean it in the way that Derek and I say it or in the way teenage girls shout it at their friends when they say goodbye? Because Scott just called. Lydia was there and she was barely able to string a sentence together."

Derek growls at Stiles as a warning that he's getting too involved in this but the boy waves his mate off, "No, Derek. I'm not dropping this. Lydia was in some heavy emotional pain yesterday and this fuckwit took advantage of that and slept with her."

"She kissed me," Isaac shrieks.

"I have no idea why."

The wolf and the human stare each other down, but Stiles lives with Derek for crying out loud and so staring contests are almost a daily routine for him.

"Lydia said she would drop by your stuff tomorrow if you still didn't want to live with her. I hope it doesn't have to come to that."

* * *

It did come to that. Isaac would avoid Lydia and Lydia would avoid everyone in the pack. She would avoid Scott because she kissed him after she poured her heart out to him, and he was being Scott. She avoided Allison for obvious reasons. She would avoid Derek because he was Isaac's legal guardian and probably hated her guts. She would avoid Stiles because he would take one look at her and know everything and of course she would avoid Isaac because of their blow out.

She still saw Melissa at work and John would always check on her because he was the dad she never really had. The two adults never brought up the rest of the pack and neither did she.

It was about a month later when Lydia told Melissa she was moving back to New York.

"We both know the reason I stayed Melissa, and now that reason hates me. I'm nothing without the pack, and so I'm going to try and find some kind of life for myself that doesn't involve werewolves."

Melissa sighs, "Honey, I understand your reasoning, I just don't see why you can't stay. Scott, Derek, Allison and Stiles are all real worried about you."

"But Isaac hates me, Melissa. I can't stay in Beacon Hills knowing that. Besides, one of my professors has been trying to get me to move back for ages to guest lecture, the Packs the only reason I've said no."

Melissa wraps her arms around Lydia, "You do what you have to do, Lydia, but remember there is always a place for you here. Never forget that."

Lydia hugs Melissa back just as tight, thanks her for being the mother she never had and hands her a letter, "It's for Isaac. Could you pass it along?"

Melissa agrees and goes to leave the hospital, having finished her shift. Lydia still has another 4 hours to go and checks the list of in patients that have come in today. She sees the name Grace and instantly heads upstairs to where the girl is sitting in paediatrics.

"Hey, Grace," Lydia murmurs.

"Lydia! Hey!"

Lydia quickly looks over Grace's chart, "Hands shaking a lot?"

Grace nods, "And I'm dizzy all the time. It's like I'm on the verge of a panic attack but it never quite happens."

Lydia hums, "Okay, I think I know what's going on. I'm going to call your foster parents and Isaac because I know he'll want to be here to see for himself if you're okay. Just lay down and I'll be right back.

Lydia steps into the hall and sees one of the interns, "Hey, Katie! Can you do me a favour and call Grace Moore's foster parents and Isaac Lahey for me?"

Katie nods and begins to walk down the hall to where the reception is. That's when Lydia feels it; the feeling of death. The Hell Hounds are here in the hospital and she sprints as fast as she can in the opposite direction of the feeling. Peter Hale isn't an idiot though, and so he lets his hounds chase Lydia right into his embrace.

"Please," she screams. "Not again! Please, don't take me again!"

* * *

Isaac had already been halfway to the hospital when he got the phone call about Grace. Melissa had rushed straight to Derek and Stiles' place, handed him the letter she wrote and as soon as he was on the last lines he had his keys in his hands and was already halfway out the door.

He sat in the hospital car park one reading the letter one last time before going in to see Grace.

_"Isaac,_

_I'm leaving. I'm heading back to New York. You hating me…it means there's no reason to stay in Beacon Hills anymore._

_You were always telling me I could do better, that I didn't need to stay here with the pack._

_Well, now I am._

_Before I go on I need you to do some things for me. I need you to apologize to Scott for kissing him the day i ran to him for help; no matter how brief it was. You need to tell Allison that I despise myself for what I did. Tell Stiles to stop being a stubborn jerk and Derek that he needs to forgive his thick idiot. Stiles loves him, okay? Not anyone else. Tell him to finally ask the question he's been dying to ask for years now. Tell Katelyn that I'm sorry that I won't be around anymore, but it isn't her fault. I love her with all my heart. I'm not Allison's Aunt Kate, and I don't want you to lie to her about me or us ever._

_Now to you, Isaac. I fell in love with you the moment you kissed me like i wasn't broken anymore; the way you told me i was the most beautiful girl you had ever seen even though at that moment we both know i wasn't._

_You've had my heart since that moment._

_I'm sorry for ruining us. It was always going to he our downfall. I'm sorry for not telling you that I'm in love with you when I was. I'm sorry for leaving you in bed alone._

_I was scared, Isaac. I mean, how could I not be? Sex with friends never ends well._

_Except we were never really friends, were we? I mean sure, we were allies fighting for the cause of Scott McCall but we were never friends. We fucked in freshman year of college and I fell in love with you and have been hiding from it ever since._

_Our friends were always right about us, at least on my side of it._

_I'm sorry this is how I'm leaving. I was always gutless when it came to you. Please, don't come find me. You'll only be doing so out of guilt and I don't want that._

_Forever yours (and always was),_

_Lydia._

That's when he heard the unmistakable scream of Lydia. Isaac bolts out of the car and he knows if Derek saw him on the verge of wolfing out, he would be in so much trouble. He knows he doesn't have to call the rest of the pack, that they would all be on their way to help save their banshee…his banshee.

He runs down the hospital hallways and he sees Grace. "Hey! Have you seen Lydia?"

Grace nods, before smirking and skipping down the hall. Isaac chases her, "Come on, Grace! This is serious! Where is she?"

Grace leads him onto the roof of the building. He tries not to remember the last time one of them were up here; when Scott and Derek were searching for Stiles after he was possessed by the nogitsune.

"Why, Peter has her!"

He freezes, "What?"

"Peter Hale has Lydia freaking Martin, the girl you're so stupidly in love with. Mustn't be too in love with her if I was able to fuck it up with a few little white lies."

Isaac feels sick to his core. Is he going to pass out? Can werewolves even faint?

Scott and Derek are on either side of him, holding him up. "Spit it out, before-"

"Before what? You rip my throat out with your teeth? Oh honey, don't you think that threat is a little over done?"

Scott takes charge while Isaac mumbles to himself. "She told me she didn't. I didn't believe her, I didn't believe her and now she's going to die."

"What have you done?"

"Peter Hale asked me to insert myself into your lives, make sure the Martin girl has no hope at all and when I broke her, he would take her to complete the sacrifice that you idiots ruined 10 years ago."

Derek speaks next, because he knows his uncle. "What did he promise you?"

"He promised he'd turn me! That I'd been his number one beta!"

Derek smirks, "He murdered the last person he said that too."

Grace physically pales and Isaac gets up and runs out of the hospital, "We have to find her. She's lost all hope!"

* * *

When Lydia wakes up, she isn't anywhere. Of course she's somewhere, but not a real place. It's all white.

It reminds her of the place where they found the nogitsune and Stiles. Except, this time there is no Scott, or Stiles or nogitsune. It's just her.

Lydia Martin is completely alone.

God, if you told her that her freshman year of high school she would have laughed in your face. She was so popular back then; so cruel and untouchable.

She was the Queen B.

Funny how things change.

She'd trade her whole life for another shot at that, because it would mean she wouldn't feel the pain she felt when she lost Boyd, Jackson, Erica, Cora, Ethan, Aiden, Danny, Scott, Stiles, Derek, Allison, Katelyn, Chris, Melissa, John and Isaac.

She would still be alone right now, but at least she would be alone and happy. She wouldn't have the emotional connections she had now.

Now, she was stuck praying that one of them would turn up. It wasn't like that time though.

This time no one was coming.

She wasn't an idiot, after all.

The room morphed and suddenly she wasn't in the all white room, but her living room. Isaac was sitting on the couch and-is he crying?

"Iz, don't cry. Come on!"

He looks up and just gapes, wipes his eyes and pulls Lydia into a hug, "Fuck, I thought you were dead."

Lydia looks around. She hadn't considered that option yet. Maybe she was dead? She rationalizes that it would make sense, Isaac just treated her like she was his friend. That he hadn't just spent the last month plotting her death. It was stupid of her to just assume she was in some in between place, neither here nor there.

She doesn't remember being in pain though. Maybe Peter felt bad for her, got it over with quickly? After all, he's put her through so much.

"How long?"

"A couple hours. Scott and Derek are at Deaton's, but they said I'm too hysterical to go. They're scared it might be like when I saw Erica."

Lydia sits beside him, "This isn't real. I'm not really here, hon. I may actually be dead right now, I don't really know."

"You're not dead, Lydia. I can feel it. I'd be able to know if you were dead."

He sees the question on her face and continues on, "You're my mate, Lyd."

With that, she's up on the other side of the room screaming, "You're a liar! This isn't real. It isn't real. It isn't. You hate me, you all do! Stop trying to find me, if you actually even are! Just let me die! I want to die."

He was crying again, this Isaac; created by her imagination to tell her all the things she had always wanted to hear. Maybe she had hurt his feelings, but what did she care? He wasn't real and she was dead.

Isaac watched Lydia turn into a little girl. She was 9, with bright red hair and crooked teeth. Not a lot of people know that Lydia Martin used to be this gawky kid who split her time between reading books with titles that he still couldn't pronounce and hanging out with boys playing tag. That was until her parents got divorced and Jackson Whittemore moved to town.

Little Lydia looks up at him, eyes wide with fear. "Who are you?"

Isaac gets on his knees so he's level with her, extends his hand and smiles. "I'm Isaac Lahey."

The girl frowns, "No you're not! I know Isaac Lahey and you're too old to be him."

He laughs, "Never could put anything past you, Martin. Look, just listen to me for a second?"

Lydia nods and looks at him expectantly. "Sometimes things are going to suck, okay? Sometimes your parents will fight or the boy you love will turn out to be a giant lizard freak but I promise you, it gets infinitely better after. So, I need you to trust me when I say this is real. I need you to trust me when I say I'm going to find you because, Lydia Martin, there is no way in hell Im giving up on you. Just like you never gave up on me."

Lydia cups his face and grins, "Okay, Isaac. I trust you."

The little girl disappears, leaving him alone in his living room. He has to find her.

If he were a psychotic werewolf who needed to wait until the moon rises in 4 hours, where would he hide his banshee sacrifice?

* * *

Peter smiles at her when she wakes up, all teeth and menace. "Good evening, Lydia. Nice of you to finally wake."

She spits at him. It's the only thing she can do with her hands bound behind her, her feet tied together.

He laughs, "Oh, honey. Don't piss me off."

"Why not? I'm going to die anyway."

"Ah, a nice change of pace. Has the great Lydia Martin finally given up hope?"

"You made sure of that."

Peter just smiles, wide and cunning. He's won. He finally gets to live forever. He finally gets to be the most powerful Alpha to ever walk the Earth.

* * *

Isaac drives through Beacon Hills like a mad man to get to the animal clinic. When he bursts through the door, Derek has to sit him down because he's in hysterics.

"We told you not to come."

"I saw her, Derek! It was like she was in the living room with me! We hugged and we fought."

Deaton smiles, "Ah, the perks of being mated to a Banshee. Lydia surpasses normal near death barriers."

"She's dead?"

Isaac doesn't mean for it to come out as a screech.

"No, not yet. Tell me what else happened, Isaac."

"I told her I would save her, to keep up hope but she refused. She's certain we're not coming. Then she turned into a child, and I promised we would come; that no harm would come to her."

Deaton smiles again, "Incredible. You wanted her to have hope, and so she reverted back to an age where she was more hopeful."

Isaac barks out a laugh, "Lydia wasn't a hopeful child. It was after she met Scott that she became that way."

Scott sighs, "We'll find her, save her and murder Peter."

Scott had never planned murder in his life. This time was different though.

It was Lydia.

"We're still no closer to finding her."

That's when Derek stands, "He took her to Vegas last time, right?"

"Yeah," Isaac says.

"There's only one thing in Vegas that parallels something in Beacon Hills, it's why Vegas has such an insane night life."

Stiles gasps, "The nemeton."

Allison picks up her bow and arrow, "Let's go kill a psychotic old man."

* * *

She counts the seconds until her death. Numbers have always been her friend and today they calmed her down.

She was at 28, 689 when she heard the whistle of an arrow cutting through the air.

_Allison?_

Growls soon followed, the ripping of metal and shouts.

"Hello," she shouts.

The next thing she sees is Stiles Stilinski's grinning face, "Isaac said you didn't think we would come. I'm offended, Lyd." The boy steps back and looks at Lydia's chains.

"I think we need a little supernatural assistance, don't you?"

Stiles disappears and Lydia screams.

It's loud and she knows someone's dead.

"Who is it? What happened? Please, please don't be any of us. Please," she begs the empty room around her.

No one answers her.

The sinking feeling in her stomach gets deeper.

"I swear, if any of you died I'm going to kill you myself."

Derek jogs down the stairs of the nemeton. Lydia appreciates how hard such a casual gesture for him could be. "Hey, you okay?"

"Who died? Is everyone okay?"

"Everybody is fine. Peter's dead. Isaac is bleeding a little, but he should heal in about 5 minutes. Come on, let's get you out of here."

Derek rips open the iron chains and lifts Lydia up, cradling her like a child. Her ankles are swollen and her knees are bruised. She couldn't stand to save her own life.

"You guys came for me," she whispers to Derek.

"Of course we came for you. Oh, and he said yes."

Lydia cries for ages after that.

She can't help it.

She's so thankful for her little messed up family and she's so happy that they're happy.

Their happiness is her life source.

* * *

Everyone in the pack visits her in hospital while she's there.

Everyone except Isaac.

"Did I do something wrong, Ally?"

Allison smiles, "No, Lyd. He feels guilty. We all do. We let you drift away. No matter how mad we were at the time, we're all still pack. It was wrong of us."

"I'm sorry-"

"That you kissed Scott? Lydia, you were out of your mind being stalked by Peter. You had just lost Isaac. It's fine. I get it."

"It doesn't excuse it."

Allison laughs, "Okay, fine. Have it your way; Lydia Martin you're a trampy husband stealer and I hate you. Happy?"

It does make her feel better.

"I still can't believe you're pregnant and swinging that bow and arrow around."

"I couldn't just let the boys have all the fun, could I?"

Allison waves to her as she leaves the room, "Oh, and you wont be disappointed with your next visitor."

Ally just struts out without saying another word and Isaac walks in. He's rubbing the back of his neck and holding a bouquet of sunflowers.

Sunflowers had always been her favourite. They were big and bright and made her smile.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"How you feeling?"

"Oh, you mean after Peter kidnapped me again in order to make himself the strongest Alpha to walk the Earth? Fine and dandy, Lahey."

He frowns, "I know I suck for not coming by earlier-

"You think?"

"-but I wasn't sure what to say to you. You left that letter and you were getting ready to leave. I didn't want to be the reason you stayed."

Lydia frowns, "When has anybody made me do anything? And, I thought we were at least friends, Isaac. If you don't think of me in that way, it's fine. At least have the decency to tell me though."

Isaac balks, "Wait what?"

"Well, you're obviously about to try and let me down gently. I'd appreciate it if you manned up and just came out and said it, to be honest."

Isaac begins to howl with laughter, a mixture of nervousness and relief and he _knows _that she's looking at him with one of those perfect eyebrows arched, "Lydia Martin, it's never given me more please than it will at this moment to tell you that you're wrong. I love you so much. I have since 8th grade. I asked you out freshman year, and you told me to come back when the bike I rode to school had an engine instead of a chain. I love you so much that I know you aren't a small town girl. I know you belong in New York and I was scared that I was keeping you here, but you're right. When has _the _Lydia Martin ever done something she hasn't wanted to do? I am so sorry for giving up on you like I did. Thank you for having faith in me. I love you. Oh god, I love you," Isaac whispers as he leans down to press a kiss to her lips.

He tries to start off soft, but it's been so long since he could have her like this, and with the way her hand instantly tangles itself in his hair to keep him pressed to her lips, well, it looks like she doesn't have an issue with it at all.

When they break the kiss, Lydia whispers, "Isaac Lahey, the super hero. Does that make me Lois Lane or Gwen Stacey?"

Isaac just grins, "It makes you Lydia Martin."

* * *

**ONE YEAR LATER**

Scott and Allison had the most beautiful baby boy and Katelyn absolutely adores him. His name is Cameron, but Isaac has totally noticed the way that they always call him Cam. Just like he used to call his brother. The four of them are happy together, but it's never really just the four of them with at least one member of the pack dropping by daily to shower their niece and nephew in love. Oh, and they suppose they want to check on Scott and Allison too. They miss their friends.

Stiles had said yes to Derek. They had gotten married a month later and had been travelling for three months. Stiles had run to tell his Dad straight away, dragging him to his Mom's grave to tell them both the news at the same time. John had burst into tears. Derek just grinned like a fool, finally over keeping himself from being happy.

As for Isaac and Lydia? The two still shared the house that Lydia had bought, but now they shared the same bed every night. The two were sickeningly adorable, and Stiles regrets all his efforts to get the two together. "They're _always _touching, Scott," he complained. "It's disgusting."

Scott has to remind Stiles how he and Derek were when they first started dating, and that shuts Stiles up.

One night, Lydia comes home to find Isaac gone. There's no note, no phone call and she knows he mustn't be doing too well. It's the first time it's happened whilst they've been a couple, and she doesn't know what to do.

She calls around to see if anyone's seen him and no one has.

"Do you want me to do a search," Derek asks but Lydia declines.

She gets in her car and drives. She doesn't really know where she's going, or where she is when she sees the Camaro parked outside a shitty truck stop diner. She sees Isaac in one of the booths and he instantly clutches to her when she slides in beside him.

"I knew you'd come. I love you."

Lydia just holds him and whispers, "I love you too, Lahey."

It wasn't perfect, but neither of them were.


End file.
